A Journey to Learn about Pain – a book about pain education for children

Persistent pain in children is an increasingly recognized clinical problem with high prevalence rates found in some populations. A conservative estimate posits that 20% to 35% of children and adolescents are affected by persistent pain worldwide (1). The most commonly reported pain problems in children and adolescents are headache; abdominal pain; musculoskeletal pain and multiple site pain (2). Pain prevalence rates were higher in girls and increased with age for most pain types. In the current view, persistent pain is the result of a dynamic interaction between multiple contributors, including nociceptive, affective, sociocultural, behavioral, and cognitive (3). Children and adolescents who suffer with persistent pain exhibit not only physical symptoms but also have to deal with psychological distress and social restriction (4). It is also important to recognise that children who report persistent pain, are at increased risk of persistent pain as adults

Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) aims to explain to patients the neurophysiological processes involved in a pain experience(5). PNE may be beneficial for several outcomes in adult who suffer from persistent pain (6).

In addition to PNE, self-motivated coping strategies are relevant to people with persistent pain. Self-motivated strategies focus on educating people about cognitive and behavioural skills to cope with pain and help them to become more actively involved in managing their symptoms. Several self-motivated strategies have been reported in the literature and include sleep hygiene, relaxation programs, return to activities, practicing exercises and coping skills programs (7) .

To date, most research in pediatrics has focused on pain management rather than explaining pain neuroscience and biology to patients or behavioral modification (8). Considering this gap in the literature, we assembled pain specialists including Adriaan Louw, Tonya Palermo, Kelly Ickmans, Ney Meziat and Leandro Nogueira and suggested that we develop a book about PNE and self-motivated coping strategies for children.

The first step in the development of the book was the identification of the content that comprises PNE. A systematic review suggested that PNE should include: neurophysiology of pain, the difference between nociception and pain, neuron anatomy and function, spinal inhibition and facilitation, peripheral sensitization, central sensitization and plasticity of the nervous system (9). The second step was the most challenging and consisted of adaptation of the concepts for children. We undertook to do this in illustrated story form. The third step was the validation of the book. In this step, a panel of specialists in pain in children from different parts of the globe were invited to judge the book (content, language and illustrations). The last step was to present the book to the target population (the Portuguese version), parents, caregivers and teachers to judge whether the book is interesting for children from eight to twelve-years-old.

The result of this process was the development of a cartoon book entitled “A Journey to Learn about Pain”. The story revolves around three main characters. The main character, Fred is an eight-year-old boy who suffers from headache and abdominal pain. Clara is Fred’s best friend and she is worried about his pain. Clara invited Fred to visit Professor Dexter, a very smart scientist who can explain a lot of things. Clara and Fred go to Professor Dexter lab in order to find information about pain and how to deal with it. During the story Professor Dexter uses his supercomputer to explain pain concepts and behavioral strategies to deal with pain. The book is freely available on our website and can be downloaded in different formats or also read online in flipbook.

We recognize that the development of the book does not guarantee clinical efficacy. Therefore, it is important to evaluate this intervention as a support to clinicians in future studies. We also believe that this book could be relevant if it is presented outside clinical settings such as added into the school curriculum.

About Felipe Reis

Prof. Felipe Reis is is a Physiotherapy professor at the Instituto Federal do Rio de Janeiro (IFRJ). He works in the Advanced Neuroimaging Laboratory at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) developing research about Neuroscience of Emotion, Cognition, Behavior and Pain. In the last years, he is working as a researcher collaborator at McGill University. He is also the coordinator of the Pesquisa em Dor website. Recently, he was elected as the new chair of the Pain, Mind and Movement Special Interested Group of IASP.

Are you young with CRPS? We need your help!

Young people with CRPS and parents/caregivers are needed for research being conducted at Bath University

The study involves asking young people (14-25 years) with CRPS and parents of young people with CRPS to complete a 20-25 online survey which asks them to think about their future. Study recruitment is being conducted separately for both young people and parents. Please email crpsstories@bath.ac.uk if you would like to take part. Participants will be paid for their time.

PainAdelaide 2019

For you interstaters / internationallers – it is the day after Womad so combine a trip to the Festival City with one of the world’s truly great music festivals. Put it in your diary and we will let you know as soon as registration is up and running.

It’s impossible to slip your disc!

Lorimer Moseley answering the question “What is the thing that annoys you most when we talk about back pain?”

Online survey on bodily changes, sensations, and mood in people with chronic pain

How do CRPS and other chronic pain conditions affect bodily functions, sensations, and mood? Help CRPS researcher Janet Bultitude find out by responding to her survey.

The survey is aimed at people with CRPS, people with chronic pain conditions other than CRPS, and people without any chronic pain condition. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes and the responses are anonymous.

Prof Paul Hodges on pain and altered movement

Am I safe to move?

Listen to Lorimer Moseley talk to Karim Khan on new understanding of pain and focusing on the patient.

Understanding Pain

Regular physical activity is important for our health and well-being. Recent evidence suggests that independent of being physically active, limiting the duration of sedentary behavior, such as sitting or lying down, is important to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and all-cause mortality (Biswas et al. 2015). Advances in wearable sensors provide a […]

We don’t normally have to think about our breathing and that’s because breathing is handled by a subconscious part of the brain called the medulla. The medulla automatically controls our breathing as well as our heart rate and blood pressure (Del Negro et al. 2018). It sends neural signals to the breathing muscles to activate them […]

Got an event or meeting you want to promote?

We might be able to help you spread the word. Tell us in an email,

Who is the convenor?
Who is the contact person?
Where and when is it?
Is it non-profit, an association meeting or a commercial venture?
What is the objective?
Who are you wanting to attend?
Where can people go to find out more?

Then contact Heidi@bodyinmind.org

BiM will no longer have comments

Dear BiM Community
We have come to the difficult decision to stop comments as this feature is no longer serving its intended function for the wider readership of BiM. Our aim is to facilitate and disseminate good clinical science research, the comments section were for folks to engage with this research constructively and not promote individual views or therapies. We feel this function is now not being fulfilled.

Archives

Archives

Looking for information?

We often get people writing in about their particular conditions asking for more information and help. Unfortunately we get too many to be able to respond personally. We do not publish these comments for privacy reasons and we cannot offer treatment advice.

All blog posts should be attributed to their author, not to BodyInMind. That is, BodyInMind wants authors to say what they really think, not what they think BodyInMind thinks they should think. Think about that!

Subscribe!

All blog posts should be attributed to their author, not to BodyInMind. That is, BodyInMind wants authors to say what they really think, not what they think BodyInMind thinks they should think. Think about that!

We aim to facilitate and disseminate good clinical science research. We love comments that engage with the research and are constructive and respectful. We do not prescribe treatments. Promotion of your particular therapy in the comments section is not appropriate here either - that is not the point of BiM. Finally, all the comments that are made reflect the views of the person who made them and are not endorsed by BiM or members of the BiM research group.